Well, we made it! After 39 weeks of pregnancy, Kaylee Summer made her grand entrance into the world. We had a long labor, but a quick delivery! It is hard to believe that she is actually here and we are officially "Mommy" and "Daddy" now. Everyone is doing very well...Kaylee is healthy as can be and I am recovering well. Lance is loving cuddling with his daughter. The dog and cat have been fairly oblivious to the baby, but I have a feeling they aren't super impressed. :)
Below is our birth story...it is fairly long just as a warning!
On Friday July 23rd I went into my acupuncture appointment for an induction series. I was hoping to perhaps “help” things along since my last doctor’s appointment did not show any changes. The acupuncture for induction doesn’t necessarily make you go into labor, but it is supposed to help “ripen” the body.
I woke up with some contractions early Saturday morning, but they stopped after a couple hours so I was happy that there now seemed to be some progress. We went about the rest of the day as normal, but around 11pm I started having contractions again. When they became more regular and were 1-1 ½ long, 5 minutes apart for about an hour we called the hospital to see if we should come in or not. The nurse asked if I could talk during the contractions (no) and whether my water had broke (again no). She said we should probably come in and get checked out. We got to the hospital about 2:40am and I was checked into triage. They monitored my contractions for awhile but by this point they were starting to become more irregular and I was only dilated about 1 1/2 centimeters. They advised that we should probably go home for awhile especially if I wanted to try for a natural birth because they would be more likely to “do things to me” if I stayed. I was instructed to wait until the contractions were again 1-1 1/2 minutes long, 3-5 minutes apart or if my water broke.
We got back home around 4:30am and I took a warm bath and got some sleep. But for the rest of Saturday I was still experiencing contractions. They never really changed and always remained the same as the night before. My hypnobirth classes really helped during this time. I focused on remaining relaxed and calm. I tried not to tense up while experiencing the contractions and to focus on breathing through them. I trusted in my body and to do what I thought it needed at the time. I basically just wanted to sit in Lance’s lazy boy chair with a hot pad on my back for the back labor pain and be in a quiet space. I was actually able to sleep quite a bit. I would sleep, wake up for a contraction, breath through it and then fall back asleep. I was actually doing pretty well. I could usually “get ahead” of the contractions and start my breathing before they crested and manage the pain pretty well. We spent 20 hours doing this! The contractions just never became more intense or closer together until about 11pm Sunday night.
Finally when the contractions were just starting to get more intense and a little closer together, we called the hospital again at 12am to see if we should come back. We didn’t know if we should be concerned that it was taking so long or what we should do really. They said we could come back in and get rechecked. Pretty as soon as Lance got off the phone, the contractions became incredibly intense and painful and were not stopping. Looking back, I see that I went into “transition”, but at the time I had no idea what was happening. I was having a much harder time breathing through the pain and having to move to go to the hospital made it all the more difficult because I couldn’t distraction myself very well. We took about 40 minutes to make a ten minute drive because I was having so many contractions that I couldn’t get to the car! At this point, I was really worried that they were going to tell me that I was only 4 cm dilated and I had hours and hours to go. I told Lance that I wanted some pain medication because I didn’t think I could make it through the contractions for that long. We got to the hospital and I had to have them bring me a wheelchair because I couldn’t make it down the hall. I could barely change into the gown or move or anything really. Finally they got me into triage and I was able to calm myself a bit and start to breath through the contractions again and manage the pain better. I told them I needed “drugs” and they asked me if I would want an epidural and I emphatically said no. I was just really worried I would be stuck here forever which is why I even thought I wanted the pain medication. They checked me and I was 7 cm dilated. I could have cried I was so relieved. At this point my water broke (at 1:20am) and they told me I just bought myself an overnight stay.
They moved me from triage to my room (which I barely remember) and hooked up the monitors. They started to prep me for an IV but were having trouble getting my veins to pop out. And all the sudden I had this urge to push. At this point, I just let my body take over. I am even really sure who was where and what was going on around me. I DID remember to breath through each push and to remain relaxed. All the time, that was what I was focused on…breathing out and not tensing up. The nurses noticed I was pushing and asked me if I was feeling the urge. I told them yes and they said, “just do small pushes…lets get the doctor here.” I remember thinking “what the hell is a small push?!” They checked me again and I said I was fully dilated and effaced. I thought “yay, maybe now they won’t insist on small pushes”. I opened my eyes at one point and saw Dr. Morrell had arrived and was sitting on the couch reading my chart. I thought “um, don’t you want to be where all the drama is?” I pushed a couple more times and the nurse put up the stirrups so I knew I had to be close. A couple more pushes and Dr. Morrell said to open my eyes and look down. And holy! There was my baby! Dr. Morrell said to reach down and take her and I just kind of stared at her…it was so surreal. Finally I put my hands on her and brought her up to my chest. She was born 49 minutes after my water broke. I had really expected the whole “ring of fire” experience but I didn’t find it hurt that much. And I only tore a little bit, so that was a relief as well.
I could hear that my mom, Lance’s mom and sister and my friend Stefany had arrived. I asked the nurses if Lance could hold her because I knew that he was dying to hold her. They let him take her out to meet everyone while I got stitched up and cleaned up. The nurses and doctor kept complimenting me on how well I did and how “in control” I was. I hadn’t thought I was that in control, but looking back I think I had a better handle on it that I previously thought. The hypnobirthing training was probably my saving grace because I learned to keep relaxed, calm, unafraid and to trust in my body’s ability to deliver my baby.
I also have to say that Lance was absolutely amazing through the whole thing. He was always very attentive and for the most part gave me a lot of space but was always right there when I needed something. And he especially great once I hit transition because he was always there, holding my hand which really seemed to ground me and help keep me focused and breathing. And the few times I forgot to breath, he would just say “breathe, remember breathe”. He seemed to be able to intuitively know what I needed.
